The Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering of Warsaw University of Technology – Aircraft Design Department

Project 10- Fittings design.

1. Fiting design

The student should chosse the type of wing fitting coresponding to previous projecet. If
Student designed wing and fuseladge conection as a monocoque/semi-momocoque than
Student should assume wing structure with two spars and three lugs (Figure 3). In that cese
the distance between spars should be equal to distance beetween WALL. The results of this
part of project should be geometry of the fitings which can transferred all loads.

1.1. Loading transferred by the wing

This part of the project guide is focused on calculations of wing fitting. The presented
analysis will be simplified. The Figure 1 presents loading transferred by the wing.
Designations shown in Figure 1 are being used in this project guide.

Figure 1 The loading transferred by the wing [2]

Where:
Mt- Tangential bending moment
MN- Normal bending moment
MS- Torsion moment
Tt- Tangential transverse force
TN- Normal transverse force

1.2. Type of wings fittings

Fittings are being used for joining the wings together and with the fuselage. We
differentiate two basic types of connections:
• Right and left wing joined together. A fuselage is mounted later to wings unit.
The wing-fuselage fittings carry only torsion moment and transverse force.
Bending occurs only in the wings structure. This is the most common type in
gliders as it offers the most simple and lightest solution. But not always this

K. Bogdański, C. Galiński, M. Kalinowski, A. Kwiek, M. Maciejewski, J. Mieloszyk, K. Seneńko 1/10

– Project guide: Fittings deaign.
 The Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering of Warsaw University of Technology – Aircraft Design Department

type can be used due to limitations imposed by the proposed type of wing-
fuselage joint.
• In the second type wings are connected with the center bridge of the fuselage
which is involved in the transfer of bending forces from the wings, takes over
transverse force and torsion moment. Compared to the first type it must be
mentioned that the main (front) and back fittings used in the system are more
complex.
Fittings’ construction solutions can be very different, due to the fact that they need to
be adapted to the specific structure of the wing, however, they still possess some common
elements thus
stress and strain calculations can be based on the same basic principles.
Typical solutions used for the first type of fittings are presented in Figure 2. In the A
scheme the visible part of the wing spar is ended with a pin(1), which enters the bush(2) in the
other wing and vice versa. The fuselage is suspended on pins entering front(3) and rear(4)
bushes. In B type of fitting, U shaped part of wing spar is placed over a single blade of the
other wing’s spar. Both are joined together with two pins (1)&(2) in the horizontal axis,
parallel to longitudinal axis of the fuselage. Mounting of the fuselage is identical to the A-
type, using bushes (3)&(4).

Figure 2 Wing-fuselage fittings of the first type [2]

The second mounting system is shown in Figure 3. All loads from the wings are taken
over by the central bridge in the central part of the fuselage. Fittings in the form of lugs joined
with top&bottom spar caps enter the pockets in the fuselage and are secured with a vertical
pin. Rear fittings enter the U-shaped fuselage fitting and is joined with a horizontal pin
parallel to the wing chord. Normal bending moment is transferred to the central part of the
fuselage through the nodes (1) and (2), transverse force and torsion moment is transferred by
nodes (1), (2) and (3).

Figure 3 Wing-fuselage fittings with a central part of the fuselage bridge [2]

K. Bogdański, C. Galiński, M. Kalinowski, A. Kwiek, M. Maciejewski, J. Mieloszyk, K. Seneńko 2/10

– Project guide: Fittings deaign.
 The Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering of Warsaw University of Technology – Aircraft Design Department

1.3. Loads on fittings

The following table includes formulas necessary to calculate forces loading fitting’s nodes:
First type of mounting system (bayonet) Second type of mounting system (centre
bridge)

[2]

Forces in node 1: Forces in node 1:

PX 1 = 0 1
PX1 = Tt
PY1 = 0 4
M M
MN PY1 = n − t
PZ1 = − h0 2 Lt
L3
1 1M S
Forces in node 2: PZ1 = Tn +
PX 2 = 0 2 2 Lt
Forces in node 2:
PY2 = 0 1
PX 2 = Tt
MN 4
PZ 2 =
L3 M M
PY2 = − n − t
Forces in node 3: h0 2 Lt
1
PX 3 = Tt 1
PZ 2 = Tn +
1M S
2 2 2 Lt
PY3 = 0 Forces in node 3:
L2 1 1
PZ 3 = Tn + MS PX 3 = Tt
L1 + L2 L1 + L2 2
Forces in node 4: M
PY3 = t
Lt
1
PX 4 = Tt PZ3 = −
1M S
2 2 Lt
PY4 = 0
L1 1
PZ 4 = Tn − MS
L1 + L2 L1 + L2

K. Bogdański, C. Galiński, M. Kalinowski, A. Kwiek, M. Maciejewski, J. Mieloszyk, K. Seneńko 3/10

– Project guide: Fittings deaign.
 The Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering of Warsaw University of Technology – Aircraft Design Department

1.4 Stress in the bayonet

Using symbols from Figure 4, the stress in bayonet spar caps resulting from the tangential
bending moment can be calculated as follows:

6
Figure 4 Bending by the tangential moment [2]

(1)

Mt- Tangential bending moment

σMt- stress in spar caps
They should be added with stresses resulting from bending by normal moment calculated
from equations:
δ g + δd
h=H− (2)
2
M
P = N (3)
h
Fd = B ⋅ δ d , Fg = B ⋅ δ g (4), (5)
P P
σ Mng = , σ Mnd = (6), (7)
Fg Fd

The way how forces are transferred in nodes depends on fitting’s construction. The
calculation method should be individual, but here a few general rules making fitting’s
designing easier are presented.

1.5. Strength of pin joint

Typical pin joint presents Figure 5

Figure 5 Pin joint [2]

K. Bogdański, C. Galiński, M. Kalinowski, A. Kwiek, M. Maciejewski, J. Mieloszyk, K. Seneńko 4/10

– Project guide: Fittings deaign.
 The Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering of Warsaw University of Technology – Aircraft Design Department

The pin (Figure 5) extending out from the face of one spar comes into the bush in the rib
of second half of the wing. The pin is embedded in duralumin solid which is bonded between
two walls of the spar (Figure 5).
The force Pz causes bending and shear of the pin.

Figure 6 Load of the pin joint [2]

According to symbols in Figure 6 maximum bending moment of the outer part of the pin

∙
can be calculated from equation (8) .
∗
(8)
The stress caused by the bending moment can be calculated from equation (9).
∗

∙
32
(9)

The stress caused by pin shearing can be calculated from equation (10).
!∙
∙
4
(10)

where β=1.33, is the shape factor for circle cross section.

The maximum bending moment in part of pin joint inside the solid (Figure 6) can be
calculated from equation (11)
$
∙# %
6
(11)

The stress caused by the bending can be calculated from equation (12 ).

∙ (12)
32

&
The shearing caused by reaction R2 can be calculated form equation (13).
!∙
∙
4
(13)

Where R2 is force reaction.

K. Bogdański, C. Galiński, M. Kalinowski, A. Kwiek, M. Maciejewski, J. Mieloszyk, K. Seneńko 5/10

– Project guide: Fittings deaign.
 The Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering of Warsaw University of Technology – Aircraft Design Department

$
6 6 $
& ∙ ∙
$ 5$
$
(14)
6
Safety factor have to be assigned according to steel material of the pin.

1 6∙+
According to Figure 7 pressure onto the duralumin solid is equal to:

( ( ( ∙) ,
$∙ $ ∙
(15)

&. /0
Safety factor:
-
(
(16)
where: Rcdur – is ultimate compressive strength of duralumin (solid material).

Figure 7 Forces acting on the pin joint [2]

The spar solid with pin is bonded into spar thru external surfaces of the solid (called Fs )
on the both sides (Figure 8).

Figure 8 The spar solid with external surface Fs witch is bonded to the spar walls. [2]
According to Figure 9 the tangential stress on the external surfaces of the spar box is

$
equal to:
1 4 2
∙1 3∙ 5
2 ∙ 23 23 ∙ $
(17)

K. Bogdański, C. Galiński, M. Kalinowski, A. Kwiek, M. Maciejewski, J. Mieloszyk, K. Seneńko 6/10

– Project guide: Fittings deaign.
 The Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering of Warsaw University of Technology – Aircraft Design Department

The safety factor of bonding area can be calculated from equation (21)

Figure 9 Tangential stress for bonding area [2]

1.6. Strength of lug.

The Figure 10 presents typical fitting of spar’s cap which transferees load from spar’s cap

Figure 10 Cap’s fitting [2]

The fitting can have different geometry: single lug (A) or double lug (B).

Figure 11 Geometry of the lug [2]

K. Bogdański, C. Galiński, M. Kalinowski, A. Kwiek, M. Maciejewski, J. Mieloszyk, K. Seneńko 7/10

– Project guide: Fittings deaign.
 The Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering of Warsaw University of Technology – Aircraft Design Department

Stress in the lug related to cross section through the hole axis and perpendicular to the lug
longitudinal axis:

6
(18)
where:
P – load,
K – stress concentration factor,
- lug thickness,
b – lug width in considered cross section,
d – hole diameter.
7
K factor is a function of hole position (+ ), lug width and hole diameter – K=f(c, b, d).
This can be found from the following diagrams (Figure 12 - Figure 14).

Figure 12 Diagram of stress concentration factor for normalized ordinary steel [2]

Figure 13 Diagram of stress concentration factor for alloy steel [2]

K. Bogdański, C. Galiński, M. Kalinowski, A. Kwiek, M. Maciejewski, J. Mieloszyk, K. Seneńko 8/10

– Project guide: Fittings deaign.
 The Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering of Warsaw University of Technology – Aircraft Design Department

Figure 14 Diagram of stress concentration factor for aluminum alloys [2]

ATTENTION: In Figure 12-Figure 14 the continuous line is for single lug, dashed line is for
multi lug.

&
Safety factor for lug:
8 (19)
,where & is fatigue strength of lug material.
It should be noted that thickness of fitting changes to make rigidity variation smoother.
If total thickness of both lugs (for U shape fitting) is not equal to the thickness of fuselage’s
lug (for single lug configuration) than this fact should be considered in equation (12).
To bond a metallic fitting to composite spar cap additional adhesive layer is used (e.g. BWF-
21 for EPIDIAN resin). Only then adhesion is good enough to make connection durable
enough.
Stress over bonding area:

3;< (20)
223;<
,where 23;< is bonding area (one side)

Figure 15 Fiting’s bonding area [2]

Safety factor for bonding area:
& ;<
8 (21)
3;<
,where & ;< 700?/+A for EPIDIAN resin.
Equation above assumes constant distribution of stress over bond. That is applicable only for
ultimate conditions. For limit loads there are stress concentrations on both ends of the bond.

K. Bogdański, C. Galiński, M. Kalinowski, A. Kwiek, M. Maciejewski, J. Mieloszyk, K. Seneńko 9/10

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 The Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering of Warsaw University of Technology – Aircraft Design Department

One should take into consideration the fact that thickness of lug usually is not constant. The
reason is to make smooth change of lug stiffness over spar connection area (ratio of fitting
and composite spar stiffness). That ensures almost linear distribution of load over connection.

Figure 16 Shear stress distributions over bonding area [2]

1.7. Other types of fittings

Other types of fittings can be analysed according to chapter 7 in [4]

2. Project’s requirements
Project’s report should include:
• All project’s assumptions
• Calculation of loads in each of fittings of selected type
• Calculation of stresses in each of fittings
• Sketch of all fittings geometry with dimensions
• Proposed materials for fittings
• Safety factors

References:
[1] M. Bijak-Żochowski, M. Detrich, T. Kacperski, J. Stupnicki, J. Szala, K. Szewczyk, J.
Witkowski “Podstawy konstrukcji maszyn”, tom 2, wydanie drugie

[2] W. Stafiej „Obliczenia stosowane przy projektowaniu szybowców”

[3] Michael C. Y Niu, “Airframe Stress Analysis and Sizing (3rd Edition)”, 1997 AD
Adaso/Adastra Engineering LLC

[4] Michael C. Y. Niu „Airframe Structural Design“, Conmilit Press LTD, Hong Kong
1995

K. Bogdański, C. Galiński, M. Kalinowski, A. Kwiek, M. Maciejewski, J. Mieloszyk, K. Seneńko 10/10

– Project guide: Fittings deaign.